Letter-opening machine.



E. T. HENDEE.

LETTER OPENING MACHINE.

APPL|cA`T|oN H LED MAR. so. 1912.

Patented Jam.v 11, 1916.

j /N--E UMTED STATES PATENT OFFICE. y

EDWARD T. HENDEE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

LETTEReOPENING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 30, 1912. Seria1.No.687,416.

ates across the edges of envelops passed edgewise over said slot.

Letter-opening machines have heretofore been commercially unsuccessful, owing to the paper filings or cuttings and dust occasioned by their use being scattered through the room in which the machine is used and which, in addition, has established unhealthful conditions. Furthermore, such machines as heretofore constructed have been unsuccessful on'account of damage to the letters and contents occasioned by their use, resulting from lack of adjustment given to the revolving cutter-wheel; the amount of material removed from the letter being dependent upon the skill ofthe operator, instead of beinga matter of adjustment in the maf chine itself.

vrThe main object of my invention is to provide a letter opening machine that may be successfully operated without cutting or damaging the contents of the envelops and without spreading dust and cuttings throughout the room in which the machine is used.

lOther objects of the invention are to provide a. machine which will effect a uniform and even cutting actionf upon the edges of the envelops; to provide a machine in which the extent of the cutting action can be nicely adjusted; to provide a machine which can be used with entire safety to the operator; to provide a machine well adapted for the use of a blade-carrying wheel, in `lieu of the abrasive wheel heretofore used, thereby lessening the amount of fine dust created;

' and, generally. to provide an improved and highly efficient machine of the character specified. y

lVith these and other minor objects in viewas will more fully appear asthe description proceeds, my invention consists in certain novel constructions, arrangements, and combination of parts that ly shall here-A inafter fully set forth and then point out and define in the claims.

Y For a full understanding 0f the invention,

reference is had to the following 'descrip,

tion and the accompanying drawings, in which latter` y Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the complete machine, more particularly illustrating the cutter, its motor and motor suspending and adjusting devices. Fig.'2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the machine showing the parts directly above and intimately associated with the cutter. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction indicated -by the arrow.

` Referring to the drawing,"5l designates as anA entirety the body portion, and 6 the hinged lid or cover of a case or cabinet that may be of any size and shape to suit conditions; it ordinarily being made rectangular so that it may be placed on a table or. desk. The lid or cover 6 is preferably hinged to the body 5 at one of the longitudinal mat- Through the top wall of the lid 6 is formed an opening 8. Mounted on and longitudinally of said top walland extending across said opening is a channel-shaped guide comprising a bottom plate 9 and parallel side walls 10. That portion of the bottom plate 9 of the channel 'guide which overlies the opening 8 is cut away obliquely on its under side, as shown at 11 in Fig. 1, in such a way as to Patented Jan. 11,1916.

lng edges, the hingesbeing shown in Fig.

form at one side of said Opening an arcshaped slot that extends transversely of the bottom of the channel guide as indicated at 12 by dotted lines in Fig. 2. To the Linder side of the top wall of th lid or cover 6, near` one end of the cabinet, is secured an attachment plate 13 formed with depending lugs 14:, in which may be strongly secured aemotor-supporting bracketA 15. The

depending portion of bracket 15 has an apertured lug 16 at its lower end, and en its front face is formed with a dovetailed guide,

groove 17, to which is fitted a slide 18 that is secured, as by tap-screws 19, to the basejQO of -a small electric motor indicated las an entirety by 21. It will be noted that the motor is suspended with its armature shaft slightly inclined or out of the vertical, and normal te the plane of the cut-away portion 11 of the base ofthe channel guide. Keyed.

on the upper end of the armature shaft 22 is the cutting wheel 23 which, preferably and as herein shown, is similar to an ordinary milling cutter; and it will be observed that the construction and organization is such that the upper ec ges of the cutterbla'des 23a, which lie in a plane parallel with the sides of the cutter wheel or disk, are adapted, when the wheel is rotated, to sweep through the arc-shaped slot 12, projecting very slightly above the slot. 1t may here be noted that the path of movement of the cutting edges of the cutters is much more nearly horizontal or flat than is possible where the periphery of a circular cutter disk is used to effect the cutting operation as has heretofore been the practice in machines of this character. At the opposite or lower end of the motor I provide a simple means for taking up wear in the armature shaft bearings so that the upper end of the armature shaft and the cutter can always be kept at a proper height, and so that the wear or thrust on the bearings will'not be entirely taken up at one point. boss 24 on the lower end of theV motor frame through which the lower end of the armature shaft 22 extends, a thimble 25 threaded upon the boss 2%, and a screw 26 threaded into the lower end of the thimble 25 and forming a direct thrust support for the lower end ofthe armature shaft, a hardened metal end bearing piece 27 being preferably interposed between the upper end of the adjusting screw 26 and the lower end of the armature shaft. .It is evident from this that the downward thrustof the armature shaft is re Y sisted by the frame of the motor and ,the

supporting devices of the frame, thus relieving the armature shaft bearings of lateral thrust and enabling wear on the bearings to be readily taken up by the adjusting screw 26.

To the back of the slide 18 is secured, by

tap-screws 28, an adjusting nut 29 that eny gages a screw 30, which latter is swiveled in the lug 16 of the supporting bracket 15, be-

lng confined against endwise movement by collars 31 and 32. rThe lower end ofthe adjusting screw 30 carries a milled head 33 by which it can be readily operated. From this it will be manifest that by turning the milled head in one direction or the other the motor and cutter can be bodily raised and lowered.

Cooperating with the channel guide and located above the slot 12 is a mechanism for ,applying a suitable lateral pressure to a bunch of envelope as the latter is advanced through the slot and for covering the slot and preventing the escape of cuttings and dust from the interior of the cabinet. This mechanism comprises a casing 34 having an open end coincident with the inner face of one of the side walls 10 and constituting a rilhis device comprises a threaded cutter plate 38 formed with a lower beveled edge 39 that is adapted to cooperate with the blades of the revolving cutter to secure a clean scissors cut on the outside envelop of Y the bunch, preventing a ragged cut or tear that might otherwise occur. rllhe cutter plate 38 is secured by a thumb-screw 39 passing through a slot 10 in the sidewall 10, which permits a proper adjustment of the lower edge of the cutter plate relatively to the cutter wheel to lsecure the desired eflect. llt will be noted by reference to l? ig. 2 that the advance edge of the follower, that is, the edge which receives the advance end of a bunch of envelops being passed through the channel guide, is inclined, as shown at 35a, whereby the follower is readily forced back by such advance end of the bunch of envelops to clear the channel'for the passage of the envelops therethrough.

YAt the bottom of the body portion 5 of the cabinet I preferably locate a tray 41 to catch thecuttings and dust, which trayis readily removable by Isimply raising the lid or cover and swinging the same back out of the way.

The operation of the machine has been mainly indicated in the foregoing description. Ysli/'hen the lid or cover is down the cabinet is entirely closed except for the cutter slot 12, and this is entirely covered by the follower 35 except when a bunch of envelops is passing over therslot, and, of course, atrsuch time the slot is covered by the envelops; so that there is no chance for the escape into the room of the cuttings4 -does not have to be relied upon to avoid liability of damage to the contents of the envelops. The mounting of the entire operating mechanism on the cover which can be readily swung back enables said parts to be readily gotten at for cleaning and adjust ment, when necessary.V

By the term cutter-wheel as used herein I intend to designate any wheel or disk, whether operating on the grinding or abrading principle or on the cutting or shaving principle, since either type can be used in my machine with satisfactory results. However,` I prefer to remploy a wheel or disk carrying cutting blades. such as the milling-cutter shown and described, since this type effects a cleaner cut with less dust than an emery or similar abrasive wheel.

It will be manifest to those skilled in the art that the details of structure and arrangement might be considerably varied from those shown and described without departing from the principle of the invention or sacrificing any of the benefits and advantages inhering therein. Hence, the invention is not confined to the precise constructions, arrangements and combinations shown except to the extent clearly indicated in specific claims.

I claim:

l. ln a letter opening machine, the combination of a cabinet vprovided with a channel guide for envelops on its top wall and a slot formed through said top wall and the bottom of said channel guide, a cutterwheel mounted in said cabinet with its working surface projecting through said slot, and a cover for said slot mounted on said top wall and adapted to overlie and close the slot or any portion thereof not closed by envelops.

2. ln a letter opening machine, the combination of a cabinet provided with a channel guide for envelops on its top wall andv a slot formed through said top wall and the bottom of said c hannel guide, a cutterwheel mounted in said cabinet with its working surface projecting through said slot, and a spring-pressed follower mounted and operating transversely of said channel guide above said slot and serving to laterally compress a bunch of envelops when the latterclined edge on its approach side adapted to be engaged by the advance end of a bunch of envelops passed through said channel guide whereby to force back said follower from above said slot.

et. In a letter opening machine, the combination of a cabinet provided with a channel guide for envelops on its top wall and a slot formed through said top wall and the bottom of said channel guide, a cutter-wheel mounted in said cabinet on an aXis slightly inclined from the vertical, said cutter-wheel having blades the cutting edges of which lie in a plane substantially parallel with the plane of the body of the wheel and project through said slot on the high side of said wheel, a spring-pressed follower mounted effect a shearing cut on the outer edgerof said bunch yof envelops; 5. In a letter opening machine, the `combi-y nation of a cabinet lia-ving a slot in its top wall, an electric motor in said cabinet disposedwith its armature shaft slightly 1nclined from the vertical, a cutter-wheelr mounted on the upper end of said armaturey shaft with the outer portion of its upper face projecting through said slot on the high side of said cutter wheel, means for supporting said motor from a wall of said cabinet, and means for bodily adjusting said motor in the longitudinal direction of its Y armature shaft.

6. ln a letter opening machine, the combination of a cabinet having a slot in its top wall, an electric motor in said cabinet disposed with its armature shaft slightly inf clined from the vertical, and a cutter-wheel f keyed on the upper end of said armature shaft with the outer portion of its upper face projecting through said slot on the high Y side of said cutter-wheel, means for suspending said motor laterally from the under side of said top wall, and an axially vertically adjustable step bearing for the lower end of the armature shaft supported from the frame of the motor and serving to take up wear in the armature shaft bearings and resist the end thrust of the armature shaft.

7. In a letter opening machine, the combination of a cabinet having an integral imperforate body portion and a cover portion hinged to said body portion, said cover por-l tion having a slot formed through itstop wall, a motor wholly suspended from the under side of said top wall, a cutter-wheel carried and driven by said motor and having its working surface projecting through said slot, and a dust tray in the bottom of said cabinet removable on swinging backy said cover and the attached motor and cutter-wheel.

' 8. In a machine of the character set forth, the combination with an envelop-guide, of a rotary cutter-wheel equipped with laterallyprojecting shearing-blades, and an adjustably-secured, stationarily-mounted shearmemberv associated with said envelop-guide and disposednear one lateral wall thereof.

9. In a machine of the character set forth, the combination of an envelop-guide, a stationary shear-member at one side of said guide and projecting through a lateral wall thereof, and a rotary cutter-wheel having lateral shearing-blades co-acting with said shear-member.

10. In a machine of the character set forth, the combination of an envelop-guide, a shear-member mounted near one lateral Wall of said guide, and a rotary cutter-Wheel having upwardly-presented lateral shearblades adapted to pass beneath said shearmember.

1l. In a machine of the character set forth, the combination of an envelop-guide, a shearfmember associated With one lateral Wall thereof, a rotary cutter having shearblades eo-acting With said shearsmember, and a spring-held guide-member projecting into said envelop-guide, for the purpose set forth.

12. In a machine of the character set forth, the combination of an envelop-guide, a shear-member associated With one lateral Wall thereof, said envelop-guide having a transverse slot in its bottom-Wall, a springheld presser-member extending into said envelop-guide, Vand a rotary cutter-Wheel having upwardly-presented lateral shearblades Working through said slot and coacting With said shear-member.

SAMUEL N. POND, DAISY C. 'IHORSEM Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

